Romancing Mr. Darcy...

My 2nd favourite Mr Darcy.

My favourite Mr. Darcy

...in my head, at a tender age of 14 was probably a daft thing to do. But that was when I first came across Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in the local school library. Unlike the (lucky) British students who have English Literature forced down their throats at a young age, Malaysian students only get one pitiful reading of Great Expectations (which was a most entertaining piece of literature, the days I would spend detesting Estella were wonderful) by Charles Dickens.

Now, as a young unmarried lady approaching spinsterhood (well really, in the Regency period, I would be considered well on the shelf), I have read Pride and Prejudice nine times (front to cover, I didn’t count the other times I skimmed through my favourite parts). I have watched Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version of course) three times (from start to finish, I didn’t count the other times I fast forwarded to the best bits). I am a proud owner of all Jane Austen’s books and all of the BBC adaptations, movies etc. I have read Mr. Darcy’s Diary; essentially the Pride Prejudice, but written from Mr Darcy’s perspective. I even have dating guide based on Jane Austen’s novels (although I can’t seem to locate it now, must’ve lent it to someone). Before my engagement, my Fiance, bought a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, thinking that marrying my two foremost loves – Jane Austen and zombie movies, would entertain me greatly. Unfortunately for Jane Austen, he was right!

So when, in May this year, my Mr. Right bought two tickets to the Regency Ball that is to be held in Bath in September, I was ecstatic. It was literally the best present ever. Not only did I get to dance in the Assembly Rooms where Jane Austen herself attended, but I got to dress up in Regency period costume and learn the Regency period dance. Honestly, I did try to convince some of my friends to join me but I failed...miserably. Somehow the idea of dancing around in costume didn't really appeal to them!

Anyway, I was really touched that He went through the trouble of reading Pride and Prejudice (not the whole thing though, just halfway!) and attempting to write in the Jane Austen-Regency fashion as well. It wasn’t until June when my dear sister got engaged that I had a sneaky suspicion he was going to propose during the weekend of the ball in Bath. I found out later (after the actual proposal on 19 June 2010) that he was in the midst of planning a horse-drawn carriage, a hotel stay in the most luxurious hotel in Bath at the Royal Crescent Hotel, flowers and champagne and of course, the ball. Part of me was horrified at the expense that he would have spent if I wasn’t as sharp (haha) as I am or he wasn’t as transparent as he is! The other part of me secretly wishes that I had pretended that I knew nothing out of the ordinary and went along for the ride. Nevertheless, I am gratified that I warranted such a Plan and I thoroughly enjoyed the panic-of-the-moment proposal which was both low-key and humourous.

So, on a fine Friday morning, we took an early morning train to Bath and arrived a bit groggy. We ate breakfast at one of the pubs and went for a bit of shopping before checking in. No, we didn’t stay at the Royal Crescent! Instead, we went for the thrifty option and booked the Travelodge instead (a good option as we were hardly in our room!). Shopping in Bath is very enjoyable; less crowded and less hassled. After a spot of shopping, we tucked into some Sally Lunn Bath Bun. I had mine with clotted cream and he had his with chicken, accompanied with some tea.

We had a lovely dinner at this Spanish tapas place called Same Same But Different which was voted on tripadvisor as the number 1 restaurant in Bath. We absolutely loved the delicious tapas and the laid-back atmosphere. There however really weird looking painting wall causing us to spend some time deciphering what the painting meant.

Yummtastic!

A cat, a chicken and a woman in that painting!

The next day, before picking up our costumes, we headed to the Regency Tea Room above the Jane Austen Centre for warm scones and English Breakfast tea was just what you need for breakfast! I must say the lemon drizzle cake was quite delectable as well.

Scones, lemon drizzle cake, cucumber and cheese sandwiches at the Regency Tea Room.

My favourite seat by the window! Have been here three times.

Once we picked up our costumers, we dressed up and wandered around Bath. We kept getting stopped by tourists who wanted a photo of us. I guess it's not everyday you see an oriental couple in period costume! I didn't particularly like my costume (thought it was too pastel and large) but my Fiance did cut a dashing figure in his costume.

Looking for quizzing glasses in the local pharmacy.

Was I cold? YES! Not sure how ladies back then survived.

The Royal Crescent.

Totally non-functional parasol for £5. Gloves were only £1 at Ann Summers.

Around 4pm, we headed to the Assembly Rooms for our dance lesson. It was interesting to say the least. Not everyone was in costume yet but there were a lot of enthusiastic novices on the dance floor, including yours truly. The lesson lasted only an hour (we were really sweating at the end!) followed by scones and more tea! The ball only started in earnest at 7pm so we had a chance to back to our hotel to freshen up.

The dance hall, where Jane Austen purportedly used to dance in. Imagine that!

Striking his best Mr. Darcy pose.

There was a great deal of dancing from 7 till midnight, with a short stop in between for supper. It was a lovely evening! It was like being in a different era, especially since everyone was dressed up in elaborate costumes! It was entertaining seeing the women curtsy and the men escorting the women everywhere. There were even whist tables!! In case you're wondering what whist is, it's a card game that was very popular during the Regency times. Gambling was a notorious habit during those days. I had such a wonderful time with my Fiance; we danced every single dance except for two (we had to stop and rest!). Don't get me wrong, there were moments where dancers missed a step or two and crashed into another but overall, the dancing was a lot of fun and easy to learn.

Hustle and bustle of supper time. Roast beef, three types of potatoes and sautéed vegetables. Dessert was not memorable. But was also served marzipan, which is quite traditional.

Most of these ladies made their own costumes from scratch!

Alas, a ball can only last so long. We woke up the next day and returned our costumes (I did get a little stuck as the nice old lady who made the costume was going on about the antique pearls on it!). It was back to jeans and t-shirts for me. I felt a bit like Cinderella did when the clock struck midnight. Luckily for me, my Prince Charming was also dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and seemed to be oblivious to the fact that we were back to reality. Before heading back to London, in true tourist fashion, we popped by 1, Royal Crescent to get a glimpse of life back in the Regency period. Definitely worth a visit!

All in all, a wonderful weekend away...

Future Mr. and Mrs...